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There's some valuable information inside, I think James' hypothesis of breath as a missing pillar of Western medicine carries weight.

I found the book to be both illuminating and practical. I've come to know my body a little more intimately through the lungs and generally feel more at ease most days since starting the book at the beginning of September (now Oct. 5). Others less familiar with the subject may see more substantial improvements. The way the lungs are portrayed as a cure-all is a stretch, though I'm open to the idea of the lungs as a vehicle to the heart, in both a literal (gaining a measure of conscious control over the autonomic nervous system) and metaphorical sense ("the heart" being a stand-in for our authenticity, more or less). I'm even more open to the idea that once our minds stop spinning their gears and we give our boisterous bipedal brain some of the peace and quiet it so desperately craves, we naturally start to align our actions towards better health... though I don't think that's *quite* how it was framed in this book.

This paragraph is just a personal little side note, but the above idea isn't too outlandish from a scientific perspective either since the respiratory system is intimately connected with the circulatory system (regulate your breathing to a controlled and even rhythm and watch your heart rate drop near instantly, one of many things you'll learn in this book). It's also not my idea, it's as old as history. I'm just sharing the idea in a different garment. Many spiritual traditions around the world proclaim it's when we're at our most relaxed that we become as open as possible towards connecting to life with *lasting* passion and enthusiasm, the kind that comes from allowing joy and bliss to enter into our life unimpeded, without compulsively looking over our shoulders for the boogie man coming to rob us of the good times (i.e. the ego constructing worries and fears that may or may not be relevant, ultimately robbing us of living in the present in either case). That's the real value in this book, coming to know and understand your body better while connecting with your innate inner calm. I can personally attest to a mental state characterized by a lightness of being and a love for life that comes as a direct result of downregulating the prefrontal cortex and loosening its grip on our conscious experience (that part of the brain believed to be housing the ego, also responsible for planning, logic, etc.), allowing us to connect with the right hemisphere of the brain which houses our creativity and empathy. If not immediately obvious, then let me get opinionated and reassure you that this approach to life sure-as-hell beats compulsively looking for the next shiny "insert-choice-external-noun" to curb the craving for stimulation, be that a thing, substance, person, you name it. If what I've written here resonates with you, I'd recommend a book called "My Stroke of Insight" by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor (neuroanatomist). This review is more or less a synthesis of ideas found in that book and this one.

All ranting aside, I think Breath is most valuable as a means of empowering the reader to become more stress resilient and manage stress using effective and natural methods, the lungs being an excellent vehicle for relaxation. If you've never tried anything like this before then consider this book the operator's manual for your lungs. Try some breathing techniques out and see if they work for you. If they don't feel good in the moment or afterwards, don't do them.